Astros Trade Acquisition Earns Second Spot in Starting Rotation

The Houston Astros might have lost a big piece to their starting rotation this offseason in Framber Valdez, but his leaving opens up a new world of possibilities for the Astros to push into the future.

Hunter Brown was the obvious choice to become Houston's new ace, and he will take the ball to begin the season against the Los Angeles Angels. This spring was filled with questions on who would be the second man in the rotation, but it looks like that question has been answered.

Mike Burrows Named Game 2 Starter for Opening Week

Mike Burrows poses for a picture. — Houston Astros pitcher Mike Burrows (50) poses for a photo during media day. | Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

As revealed by The Athletic's Chandler Rome on X (formerly Twitter), Mike Burrows, the former Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher, who was a part of a three-team trade earlier this offseason, and was sent to the Astros will be Houston's game two starter for the regular season.

Burrows had a strong season with the Pirates in 2025, but when the chance that he became available turned into reality, the Astros had to pounce on adding him to the rotation. The acquisition has been everything the franchise has wanted so far through spring, earning him an important roster position.

So far this spring, Burrows has held a 1.50 ERA across 18.0 innings pitched. He has only allowed three runs and has struck out 17 batters, while only walking six batters. In a pitching rotation accompanied by Christian Javier and Tatsuya Imai, Burrows following Brown was the right decision.

Mike Burrows in a Pirates uniform. — Former Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Mike Burrows (53) pitches. | Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

When players get traded, it's hard to predict how they will perform with their new team. And just because Burrows has had a strong spring doesn't tell the whole story for what's to come in his first year with the Astros.

What's positive about solidifying him as the second starter is that it instills confidence in his stuff. Burrows has a strong fastball and a changeup that is lights out, generating nearly a 50% (43.1%) whiff rate in 2025 per Baseball Savant.

He's going to keep the ball in the ballpark with that changeup, so long as it's located low, and his fastball should jam hitters at the plate if they've set their sights on the changeup. The Astros have typically had pretty strong starting pitchers over the last decade, and Burrows fits the bill.

He also throws a curveball, a slider, and a sinker in addition to his two best pitches, making Burrows a complete pitcher. Keeping the walks down will be his goal this season, as Houston is a hitter-friendly ballpark that can hurt pitchers if not taken seriously.